Before the GT40 owned Le Mans, Ford built a GT 108 prototype

7-liters behind you, open air above.

As part of the money-no-object throw down between Henry Ford II and his arch-rival Enzo Ferrari, Ford had his Advanced Vehicles Division burning the midnight high-test trying to build Eric Broadley's Lolas into something that would whup all comers at Le Mans. Built before all the styling details were fully nailed-down, this is one of the early cars that led to the iconic Mk. II.

Apparently four of the GT 108 roadsters were built, and while they never raced, they did test various configurations, including the 7-liter V8 that would allow the GT40s to walk away from the field at the Mulsanne Straight. Spend a few minutes with this important ancestor of the GT40 in the video below: